This link was just sent to me by my friend David Johnson, a fellow Board member for the Institute of Maritime History, and the speaker representing maritime cultural resources at the recent TEDx Oil Spill livestream video broadcast. This event brought together many passionate experts, including marine scientist Dr. Sylvia Earle, and while I haven't watched the entire broadcast it seems like a great and important production. At 2:04:00 David speaks on the importance of preserving shipwrecks in these threatened waters. He does a great job and its worth watching.

I'd also like to express our support of our colleagues in the Gulf who are on the front lines of this crisis, including the archaeologists at University of West Florida, who had to recently suspend excavations at the Emanuel Point II shipwreck due to the spill.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum is a newly accepted partner of the Smithsonian. That simple statement leads a news release about the Lighthouse's newest affiliation.

Just saying Smithsonian and the Lighthouse Museum in the same sentence elevates our landmark attraction to almost rare air. For sure, it allows the Lighthouse access to Smithsonian museum artifacts and exhibit pieces that very few would see unless they traveled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Museum Director Kathy Fleming said the affiliation has been a museum goal for years. It's an honor to join such a prestigious group -- one of only 13 in Florida and one of 160-plus museums and cultural organizations in 40 states, Panama and Puerto Rico since its establishment in 1996. The benefit of access to the Smithsonian's collections is certainly enough of a draw but added to that is the opportunity for bringing Smithsonian educational programming to our community.

“This project got kicked off in May 2008, and Ike hit in September, and the connection was made that there is a lot of wood there,” said Turner, archeology director for the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum in St. Augustine, Fla.